The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Prosthetic devices can be implanted in a patient's body in a variety of ways. For instance, some prosthetic devices include portions that are implanted in the intramedullary (IM) canal of a bone. In one specific example, a femoral component of a hip joint prosthesis can include an IM rod that is implanted coaxially within the IM canal of a resected femur. Also, fasteners can extend through the cortical and cancellous material of the femur, transverse to the axes of the rod and femur, and the fasteners can extend into respective holes that are formed in the rod. Accordingly, the IM rod can be frictionally fit within the IM canal, and the fasteners can further secure the IM rod to the femur.
During the implantation procedure, after the IM rod is implanted in the IM canal, holes can be drilled transversely through the cortical and cancellous material of the femur to reveal the holes in the IM rod and to provide access for the transverse fasteners. However, determining where to drill can be difficult. Accordingly, the following disclosure relates to a system for more easily determining where to drill to provide access to the transverse holes.